DOCSLIB.ORG

Hands-On Activities (PDF)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Hands-On Activities 1 2 Table of Contents Name of Activity Page Number Astronomy in the Marketplace……………………………………………………………..5 Youth Generate Rules to Govern their Space………………………………………11 Modeling the Universe………………………………………………………………………..13 Cosmic Cast of Characters…………………………………………………………………..21 From Starlight to Image………………………………………………………………………27 Cosmic Survey…………………………………………………………………………………….33 Comets and Asteroids………………………………………………………………………….43 Toilet Paper Solar System……………………………………………………………………47 Group Portrait of the Solar System: Taking Images……………………………..61 Group Portrait of the Solar System: Makign Sense of Images………………67 Telescopes & Light: Hands-On Telescope Activity………………..………………73 Astropoetry…………………………………………………………………………………………81 Tour of the Universe…………………………………………………………………………….85 Group Portrait of the Universe: Taking Images…………………………………….95 Group Portrait of the Universe: Making Sense of the Images………………..99 Light, Color, and Astronomy…………………………………………………………...…107 Filters Puzzler…………………………………………………………………………………...115 Modeling the Earth-Moon System……………………………………………………...121 Moon Phases Activity…………………………………………………………………………125 A Journey through the Universe…………………………………………………….….133 3 4 Astronomy in the Marketplace Reprinted with permission from The Universe At Your Fingertips, A. Fraknoi editor, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Goals Learn about the distinctive names of objects in the universe Become aware of astronomy terms in daily life Activity Overview You will begin asking your group to brainstorm as many items as they can with brand names that are also astronomical terms (This is where you could show the examples such as the Milky Way bar or the Comet detergent package to give the participants a good idea of what you are talking about.) After generating a good list, ask the group to spend the next few days looking around their homes, local stores, and in magazines and newspapers for as many products and business names they can find related to astronomy. Have them bring in any items they can and put them on display in the room. Background This activity was designed to be an introductory activity for anyone with little or no background in astronomy, to peak interest and to begin a discussion using some of the language of astronomy. A key concept is that astronomy has influence outside the field of science. Astronomy actually plays a much larger role in our lives than many people think. We use words like month and disaster (literally “dis-aster,” or “against the stars”), or refer to the days of the week (which are named after the Sun, Moon, and the five easily visible planets), without consciously making the connection to the Moon, the star, or the planets. (Note: In ancient times the passage of time was noted based on the revolutions of the Moon, and so there was a single word menes for both 5 “moon” and “month”) Astronomical terms are also used around the world in advertising, probably in part because of their universal identification and mysterious, exotic, or exciting connotations. Some examples of astronomy terms in various mediums follow: Cars – Ford Taurus, Chevy Nova, Subaru, Mercury Cleaning Products – Comet Sports Teams – L.A. Galaxy, Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, Dallas Stars, Houston Astros Watches – Pulsar Watches Chewing gum – Eclipse, Orbit Health & Beauty Products – Venus Razors Candy – Milky Way Bars, Mars Bars, Starbursts Food & Drink – Sunny Delight, Sun Chips TV shows – Star Trek Movies – Star Wars, Pluto Nash, Meteor Man, Galaxy Quest Preparation Space Required: Large room/discussion space Materials: Several examples of packages/labels/advertisements with references to astronomy (Milky Way bar, Comet dishwashing liquid) Chart paper Preparation time: Activity time: 20 – 30 minutes Gathering of materials and final preparations: Prior to leading this activity, you should have assembled all of the necessary materials, and you will want to have set up the chart paper in the front of the room for taking down the items as the group brainstorms. (If possible, the lists that the participants generate should be left up or should be recorded and given to the participants to keep as the course progresses.) And you should have your example items that have astronomical words in the name to start off the brainstorming. Finally, be sure to review the definitions of the astronomy terms in the vocabulary section at the end of this activity. These terms will come up during discussion. 6 Procedure Discussion lead-in: The allure of astronomy is so strong that many companies have named products after astronomical objects. Begin a discussion on the fascination of astronomy, asking participants to list some common consumer products that have been named after astronomical objects. 1. The facilitator and participants will come up with as many examples of astronomy in the as they can. Show the example items to get the brainstorm going. 2. Lead a debrief, discussing why astronomy terms and ideas are so prevalent in our marketplace and our media. In this discussion of why advertising executives and screenwriters would use astronomy terms as their product name or in their scripts, one can ask the youth, “Do you think that the astronomy topics presented in movies is always accurate to the real science?” 3. Ask the participants to spend the next few days looking around their homes, in local stores, and in magazines and newspapers for as many products and business names they can find related to astronomy. Have them bring in the labels of any item they can and post them on a big sheet of paper. Follow up Participants devise their own astronomically named product. Participants can write and illustrate advertisements for their products. Groups can produce packages or samples of their new products, extolling their virtues, with emphasis on the astronomical terms, images, and ideas they incorporated. Groups can share their products and creative advertising campaigns in a group presentation. Watch out for… Keep in mind that young people will want to talk a lot about favorite movies, plots, characters, etc., and take the discussion away from Astronomy in the Marketplace into an “Our Favorite Show/Scene” discussion. In your discussion with the participants, make sure the conversation doesn’t get too far off topic when talking about TV shows and movies that they know that have to do with astronomy. Talking about science through science fiction is not totally counterproductive in that some of the shows introduce legitimate 7 words and ideas participants would not necessarily come across otherwise. But much of the ‘science’ may be false and misleading, so there is a danger of misconceptions being reinforced by being included in a science after-school program. Many lyrics in popular songs contain references to astronomy terms and concepts. You may want to open up the brainstorm to include terms in songs and song titles—especially if the youth are struggling to name products. Vocabulary astro: A prefix used in English that refers or attaches the meaning of a star or stars, a celestial body or outer space to the name. "Astro" is derived from the Greek word "astron" meaning star. comet: Comets are loose collections of ice, dust, and small rocky particles in the Solar System that orbit the Sun and, when close enough to the Sun, exhibits a visible coma (or atmosphere) and/or a tail — both primarily from the effects of solar radiation upon the comet's nucleus. The nucleus itself measures a few kilometers or tens of kilometers across, and is composed mostly of rock, dust and ice. Comets are nicknamed ‘dirty snowballs. corona: The outer part of the Sun's atmosphere. galaxy, galaxies: A giant collection of gas, dust, and millions or billions of stars Mars: the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. Mercury: The innermost and smallest planet in the solar system (since Pluto was re-labeled as a dwarf planet), orbiting the Sun once every 88 days. meteor: The visible event that occurs when a meteoroid or asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere and becomes brightly visible. Milky Way: The galaxy which is the home of our Solar System together with at least 200 billion other stars and their planets. nova: A cataclysmic nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star. Pluto: The second-largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System (after Eris) and the tenth-largest body observed directly orbiting the Sun. Originally classified as a planet, Pluto is now considered the largest member of a distinct region called the Kuiper belt pulsar: Exceptionally small and very dense star (about double the sun’s mass but only a few miles in radius) that is spinning at very high speed. This spinning star emits energy that is seen as pulses as the star rotates. 8 star: A ball of material, mostly hydrogen, in dynamic equilibrium between gravity tending to collapse it and fusion reactions in the core tending to expand it. Our Sun is a star. starburst: A generic term to describe a region of space with an abnormally high rate of star formation. Subaru: Japanese name for Pleiades, stars in the constellation Taurus. The Sun: A star that is the basis of the solar system and that sustains life on Earth, being the source of heat and light. Taurus (The Bull): This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac. Venus: The second-closest planet to the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. Useful Websites The Universe in the Classroom: This electronic educational newsletter is for teachers, youth group leaders, librarians, and anybody else who wants to help children of all ages learn more about the wonders of the universe: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html 9 10 Youth Generate Rules to Govern Their Space Goals Create a safe and comfortable space that nurtures open conversation, question asking, and feedback.
Recommended publications
  • Aquarius Aries Pisces Taurus

    Aquarius Aries Pisces Taurus

    Zodiac Constellation Cards Aquarius Pisces January 21 – February 20 – February 19 March 20 Aries Taurus March 21 – April 21 – April 20 May 21 Zodiac Constellation Cards Gemini Cancer May 22 – June 22 – June 21 July 22 Leo Virgo July 23 – August 23 – August 22 September 23 Zodiac Constellation Cards Libra Scorpio September 24 – October 23 – October 22 November 22 Sagittarius Capricorn November 23 – December 23 – December 22 January 20 Zodiac Constellations There are 12 zodiac constellations that form a belt around the earth. This belt is considered special because it is where the sun, the moon, and the planets all move. The word zodiac means “circle of figures” or “circle of life”. As the earth revolves around the sun, different parts of the sky become visible. Each month, one of the 12 constellations show up above the horizon in the east and disappears below the horizon in the west. If you are born under a particular sign, the constellation it is named for can’t be seen at night. Instead, the sun is passing through it around that time of year making it a daytime constellation that you can’t see! Aquarius Aries Cancer Capricorn Gemini Leo January 21 – March 21 – June 22 – December 23 – May 22 – July 23 – February 19 April 20 July 22 January 20 June 21 August 22 Libra Pisces Sagittarius Scorpio Taurus Virgo September 24 – February 20 – November 23 – October 23 – April 21 – August 23 – October 22 March 20 December 22 November 22 May 21 September 23 1. Why is the belt that the constellations form around the earth special? 2.
  • Chapter 3: Familiarizing Yourself with the Night Sky

    Chapter 3: Familiarizing Yourself with the Night Sky

    Chapter 3: Familiarizing Yourself With the Night Sky Introduction People of ancient cultures viewed the sky as the inaccessible home of the gods. They observed the daily motion of the stars, and grouped them into patterns and images. They assigned stories to the stars, relating to themselves and their gods. They believed that human events and cycles were part of larger cosmic events and cycles. The night sky was part of the cycle. The steady progression of star patterns across the sky was related to the ebb and flow of the seasons, the cyclical migration of herds and hibernation of bears, the correct times to plant or harvest crops. Everywhere on Earth people watched and recorded this orderly and majestic celestial procession with writings and paintings, rock art, and rock and stone monuments or alignments. When the Great Pyramid in Egypt was constructed around 2650 BC, two shafts were built into it at an angle, running from the outside into the interior of the pyramid. The shafts coincide with the North-South passage of two stars important to the Egyptians: Thuban, the star closest to the North Pole at that time, and one of the stars of Orion’s belt. Orion was The Ishango Bone, thought to be a 20,000 year old associated with Osiris, one of the Egyptian gods of the lunar calendar underworld. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, built by Plains Indians, consists of rocks in the shape of a large circle, with lines radiating from a central hub like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
  • Messier Objects

    Messier Objects

    Messier Objects From the Stocker Astroscience Center at Florida International University Miami Florida The Messier Project Main contributors: • Daniel Puentes • Steven Revesz • Bobby Martinez Charles Messier • Gabriel Salazar • Riya Gandhi • Dr. James Webb – Director, Stocker Astroscience center • All images reduced and combined using MIRA image processing software. (Mirametrics) What are Messier Objects? • Messier objects are a list of astronomical sources compiled by Charles Messier, an 18th and early 19th century astronomer. He created a list of distracting objects to avoid while comet hunting. This list now contains over 110 objects, many of which are the most famous astronomical bodies known. The list contains planetary nebula, star clusters, and other galaxies. - Bobby Martinez The Telescope The telescope used to take these images is an Astronomical Consultants and Equipment (ACE) 24- inch (0.61-meter) Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope. It has a focal ratio of F6.2 and is supported on a structure independent of the building that houses it. It is equipped with a Finger Lakes 1kx1k CCD camera cooled to -30o C at the Cassegrain focus. It is equipped with dual filter wheels, the first containing UBVRI scientific filters and the second RGBL color filters. Messier 1 Found 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus, the Crab Nebula (known as M1) is a supernova remnant. The original supernova that formed the crab nebula was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 AD as an incredibly bright “Guest star” which was visible for over twenty-two months. The supernova that produced the Crab Nebula is thought to have been an evolved star roughly ten times more massive than the Sun.
  • The Twenty−Eight Lunar Mansions of China

    The Twenty−Eight Lunar Mansions of China

    浜松医科大学紀要 一般教育 第5号（1991） THE TWENTY－EIGHT LUNAR MANSIONS OF CHINA （中国の二十八宿） David B． Kelley （英 語〉 Abstract： This’Paper attempts to place the development of the Chinese system ・fTw・nty－Eight Luna・ Man・i・n・（；＋八宿）i・・血・lti－cult・・al f・am・w・・k， withi・ which， contributions from cultures outside of China may be recognized． lt・ system－ atically compares the Chinese system with similar systems from Babylonia， Arabia，・ and lndia． The results of such a comparison not only suggest an early date for its development， but also a significant level of input from， most likely， a Middle Eastern source． Significantly， the data suggest an awareness， on the part of the ancient Chinese， of completely arbitrary groupings of stars （the twelve constellations of the Middle Eastern Zodiac）， as well as their equally arbitrary syMbolic associ－ ations． The paper also attempts to elucidate the graphic and organizational relation－ ship between the Chinese system of lunar mansions and （1．） Phe twelve Earthly Branches（地支）and（2．）the ten Heavenly S．tems（天干）． key words二China， Lunar calender， Lunar mansions， Zodiac． O． INTRODUCTION The time it takes the Moon to circle the Earth is 29 days， 12 hours， and 44 minutes． However， the time it takes the moon to return to the same （fixed一） star position amounts to some 28 days． ln China， it is the latter period that was and is of greater significance． The Erh－Shih－Pα一Hsui（一Kung）， the Twenty－Eight－lnns（Mansions），二十八 宿（宮），is the usual term in（Mandarin）Chinese， and includes 28 names for each day of such a month． ln East Asia， what is not
  • From Our Perspective... the Ecliptic

    From Our Perspective... the Ecliptic

    2/9/09 Why don’t we see the same Mastering Astronomy Assignment 3 constellations throughout the year? • Due Feb 17, 11 am • Read Sections 2.1, 2.2 and S1.2 The Earth also revolves around the Sun, From our perspective... which changes our view of the stars March September Earth circles the Sun in 365.25 days and, The Ecliptic consequently, the Sun appears to go once around the ecliptic in the same period. If we could see • As the Earth orbits background stars in the daytime, our Sun would the Sun, the Sun appears to move a) appear to move against them at a rate of 360° per eastward among the day. stars following a path b) appear to move against them at a rate of about called the ecliptic 15° per day. • The ecliptic is a c) appear to move against them at a rate of about 1° projection of Earth’s per day. orbit onto the The tilt of the Earth's axis d) remain stationary against these stars. celestial sphere causes the ecliptic to be tilted to the celestial equator 1 2/9/09 The sky varies as Earth orbits the Sun • As the Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun appears to move along the Zodiac ecliptic. • At midnight, the stars on our meridian are opposite the Sun in The 13 Zodiacal constellations that our Sun the sky. covers-up (blocks) in the course of one year (used to be only 12) • Aquarius • Leo • Pisces • Libra • Aries • Virgo • Scorpius • Taurus • Ophiuchus • Gemini • Sagittarius • Cancer • Capricornus The Zodiacal Constellations that our Sun blocks in the course of one year (only 12 are shown here) North Star Aquarius Pisces Capricornus Aries 1 day Sagittarius Taurus Scorpius 365 days Libra Gemini Virgo Cancer Leo North Star Aquarius Pisces Capricornus In-class Activities: Seasonal Stars Aries 1 day Sagittarius • Work with a partner! Taurus Scorpius • Read the instructions and questions carefully.
  • In This Exercise, You Will Learn Some of the Stars That Make up Patterns in the Sky

    In This Exercise, You Will Learn Some of the Stars That Make up Patterns in the Sky

    PHYS 1830 - Perspectives on the Universe Winter 2015 PLANETARIUM EXERCISE In this exercise, you will learn some of the stars that make up patterns in the sky. These are properly known as asterisms. Constellations, on the other hand, are defined as 88 regions or patches of sky that are officially designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Constellations often contain the familiar patterns of stars that are the asterisms, but constellations are usually identified by their Latin name. For example, the asterism of the Big Dipper is contained within the constellation of Ursa Major, the Greater Bear. You will also be introduced to the astronomical coordinate system that is most commonly used to describe positions of objects in the sky: the equatorial coordinate system. Part 1: Sketching You will sketch several asterisms on a single page. Draw a line across the bottom of the page to indicate the position of the horizon. Label this line with the cardinal points. Draw a cross near the top of your sketch to represent the position of the zenith. Label this point. Lightly draw in the position of the meridian and label it. For each sketch, label the time for which the planetarium is set and record your location within the dome. Use circles to mark the relative positions of the stars. The size of the circle should reflect the relative brightness with larger circles indicating brighter stars. Use straight lines to connect the relevant stars to draw the asterism shape. Sketch #1: Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia Label the asterism/constellation name.
  • Wonders of the Universe

    Wonders of the Universe

    You loved your last book...but what are you going to read next? Using our unique guidance tools, Lovereading will help you find new books to keep you inspired and entertained. Opening Extract from… Wonders of the Universe Written by Professor Brian Cox & Andrew Cohen Published by Collins All text is copyright © of the author This Opening Extract is exclusive to Lovereading. Please print off and read at your leisure. For Mum, Dad and Sandra – none of this would have been possible without you Brian Cox For my dad, Geof Cohen (1943–2007) Andrew Cohen HarperCollins Publishers 77–85 Fulham Palace Road London W6 8JB www.harpercollins.co.uk Collins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Text © Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen 2011 Photographs, with the exception of those detailed on p255 © BBC Infographics, Design & Layout © HarperCollins Publishers 2011 By arrangement with the BBC The BBC logo is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation and is under licence. BBC logo © BBC 1996 13 12 11 10 09 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The authors assert their moral right to be identified as the authors of this work. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-0-00-739582-8 Collins uses papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable forests.
  • A Bibliometric Perspective Survey of Astronomical Object Tracking System

    A Bibliometric Perspective Survey of Astronomical Object Tracking System

    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2-15-2021 A Bibliometric Perspective Survey of Astronomical Object Tracking System Mariyam Ashai Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, [email protected] Rhea Gautam Mukherjee Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, [email protected] Sanjana Mundharikar Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, [email protected] Vinayak Dev Kuanr Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, [email protected] Shivali Amit Wagle Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, [email protected] See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac Part of the Library and Information Science Commons, and the Other Aerospace Engineering Commons Ashai, Mariyam; Mukherjee, Rhea Gautam; Mundharikar, Sanjana; Kuanr, Vinayak Dev; Wagle, Shivali Amit; and R, Harikrishnan, "A Bibliometric Perspective Survey of Astronomical Object Tracking System" (2021). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 5151. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5151 Authors Mariyam Ashai, Rhea Gautam Mukherjee, Sanjana Mundharikar,
  • The Parallels and Reversals in Chaco, Hubble, and Facebook

    The Parallels and Reversals in Chaco, Hubble, and Facebook

    YEARNING TO BE THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING WHEN WE ARE THE CENTER OF NOTHING: THE PARALLELS AND REVERSALS IN CHACO, HUBBLE, AND FACEBOOK Barry Vacker and Genevieve Gillespie Forthcoming in: Telematics and Informatics, Special Edition on “The Facebook Phenomenon” AUTHORS Barry Vacker, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Broadcast, Telecommunications and Mass Media Temple University 2020 N. 13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122 Genevieve Gillespie Student Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 ABSTRACT Humans have long sought to map their place in the cosmos and then situate their selves at the center of the universe. These patterns are displayed at three radically different sites — the Sun Dagger in Chaco Canyon, the Hubble Space Telescope, and social media and Facebook. Drawing from Marshall McLuhan, this article will theorize the parallels and reversals in these sites, where cosmological discoveries of the expanding universe have been countered by technological innovations involving electronic screens, such that social media counters space telescopes, cyberspace counters outer space, and Facebook counters Hubble. Perhaps the “revolution” of social media merely parallels other cultural reversals, all of which seek to return humans to the center of the universe, when we are the center of nothing. And this desire and delusion to be at the center of everything lies at the heart of contemporary issues facing the global civilization. 1. INTRODUCTION Humans are the only species on Earth to store information outside their bodies — from cave paintings to cinema to cyberspace, petroglyphs to photographs to 3D simulations, books to libraries to the internet. From our minds, we have extended a complex technological system around the planet and into the universe.
  • Transition Discs in Ophiuchus and Taurus 7 July 2015

    Transition Discs in Ophiuchus and Taurus 7 July 2015

    Transition discs in Ophiuchus and Taurus 7 July 2015 a gap (or cavity) in the ring. CfA astronomer Sean Andrews and his colleagues have been studying transition disks in nearby star- forming regions located in constellations of Taurus and Ophiuchus. The astronomers note that the gaps in transition disks they see might have been caused by one or more of three processes: grain growth and planet formation that depleted the material, a giant planet in the vicinity that swept the region clean, or a stellar wind that blew away or evaporated the dust. The astronomers set out to determine which of these processes was at work by comparing the properties of transition disks and normal disks. In particular, they compared the rates of mass accretion onto the star and the disk masses. They find, first of all, that these two quantities correlate A false-color image of the circumstellar transition disk well with the properties of the radiation, enabling around the star LkCa15, taken at submillimeter them to control for other potential environmental wavelengths. A new study finds that the most probable explanation for the inner gap in transition disks is the variables. The transition disks tend to be influence of one or more giant planets orbiting nearby. associated with smaller accretion rates and larger Credit: S. Andrews masses than disks in the normal comparison stars, suggesting that the wind and grain growth scenarios are secondary. At least in these two star- forming regions, therefore, the team concludes that A star is typically born with a disk of gas and dust the most likely explanation for the gap is the encircling it, from which planets develop as dust presence of one or more giant planets.
  • Title Spons Agency Bureau No Pub Date Contract Note

    Title Spons Agency Bureau No Pub Date Contract Note

    DOCUMENT LIZSUME ED 071' C87 82 015 524 TITLE Project Musics Reader 2,Motion in the Heavens. .INSTITUTION Harvard Univ., Cambridge,Mass. Harvard Project _Physics. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education (DREW), Washington, D.C.,Bureau of Research. BUREAU NO BK-5-1038 PUB DATE 68 CONTRACT 08C-5-10-058 NOTE 233p.; Authorized InterimVersion EDRS PRICE MF -$0.65 HC-89.87 _DESCRIPTORS Astronomy; Instructional Materials;.*Motion; *Physics; Science, Fiction;. Science Materials; _Secondary Grades; *Secondary School Science; *Space; *Supplementary Reading Materials IDENTIFIER'S Harvard Project Physics ABSTRACT As a supplement to.Projpct Physics Unit 2, specially, selected articles are presented in this reader for student browsing. _Eight excerpts are given under headings:,the starry messenger, Newton_. And the principia, an appreciation of the earth, space the unconquerable, Is there intelligent life beyond the earth3,11 the life story of a galaxy, expansion of the universe, and Dyson sphere. Seven book passages. are included under. the, headings of the black cloud, roll call, a night at the observatory, Repler's celestial music, universal gravitation, a table of stars within twenty-two light years that could have habitable planets, and three poetic _fragments about astronomy. The remaining articles includea preface to the books of the ,revolutions, Kepler, Kepler on. Mars, laws of ..motion and proposition one,, garden of Epicurus, a search for life on earth at Kilometer resolution, the. boy who redeemed his father's _name, great comet of 1965, gravity experiments, unidentified flying objects, and negative mass. Illustrations for explanationpurposes . are provided. The work of Harvard. Project Physics has been .financially supported by: the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford.
  • Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Aristotle And

    Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Aristotle And

    MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science 2012 PREPRINT 422 TOPOI – Towards a Historical Epistemology of Space Pietro Daniel Omodeo, Irina Tupikova Aristotle and Ptolemy on Geocentrism: Diverging Argumentative Strategies and Epistemologies TOPOI – TOWARDS A HISTORICAL EPISTEMOLOGY OF SPACE The TOPOI project cluster of excellence brings together researchers who investigate the formation and transformation of space and knowledge in ancient civilizations and their later developments. The present preprint series presents the work of members and fellows of the research group Historical Epistemology of Space which is part of the TOPOI cluster. The group is based on a cooperation between the Humboldt University and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin and commenced work in September 2008. Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Aristotle 5 2.1 Aristotle’s confrontation with the cosmologies of his prede- cessors . 6 2.2 Aristotle’s presentation of his own views . 9 3 Ptolemy 15 3.1 The heavens move like a sphere . 16 3.2 The Earth, taken as a whole, is sensibly spherical . 24 3.3 The Earth is in the middle of the heavens . 24 3.4 The Earth has the ratio of a point to the heavens . 32 3.5 The Earth does not have any motion from place to place . 33 4 Conclusions and perspectives 37 Chapter 1 Introduction This paper aims at a comparison of the different argumentative strategies employed by Aristotle and Ptolemy in their approaches to geocentrism through an analysis of their discussion of the centrality of the Earth in De caelo II, 13-14 and Almagest, I, 3-7.